


The Winter Lights of Chandrila

by politicalmamaduck



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alderaanian Winter Solstice, F/M, Hamilton References, Holiday Fic Exchange, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Winter Solstice, roughly set during the Aftermath trilogy, wookiee life day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 14:21:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13191918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/politicalmamaduck/pseuds/politicalmamaduck
Summary: Leia Organa adjusts to having a home and family for the holidays, with the help of her husband.





	The Winter Lights of Chandrila

**Author's Note:**

  * For [imnothere24](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imnothere24/gifts).



> Written for the 2017 Han/Leia Secret Santa, based on Hamilton lyric prompts. (This fic includes references to Leia: Princess of Alderaan, From A Certain Point of View, and the Aftermath trilogy.)

The lights of Chandrila shimmered around Leia Organa as she stood on her balcony. It was a quiet night, despite the hustle and bustle of the reborn and emerging New Republic.

The year prior, the Rebel family she had built had celebrated the Alderaanian winter solstice and Wookiee Life Day on the run from the Empire, formulating their plan to break Han out of Jabba’s palace and recovering from wounds both spiritual and physical. Luke had been adjusting to his new hand, Chewie was mourning the loss of his best friend and co-pilot, and Lando had been reconciling his moral and ethical compasses after his betrayal.

Leia’s family was altogether healthier and happier now, although some wounds would never heal. She still had trouble entering smoky cantinas, not that she went into many of those; if she lingered too long, the smoke seemed to filter through an orange haze, mechanized breathing taking over her hearing, and the temperature dropping precipitously.

Each holiday or celebration that passed, she mourned her parents and her planet. At least this year she would be able to make Alderaanian sweetbread for everyone’s birthdays and the solstice. Her mother would have been proud, she knew, but those little reminders still stung her heart.

Luke was quiet, always thinking and planning. He had told her what he knew of the Force, but there was still so much they didn’t know, about the Force, each other, and their family.

Han was off to Kashyyyk to pick up Chewie for the solstice and Life Day celebrations on Chandrila, which Leia had helped plan as a show of New Republic strength and unity. They were due to arrive shortly, as was Lando and Wedge Antilles. The old gang would be together again, and they would share Leia’s sweetbread and hot chocolate and exchange gifts. Chewie promised to share traditional Wookiee legends as per Life Day tradition, and Leia was looking forward to having a few days off to share with her loved ones.

Hanna City seemed to shimmer in the darkness before her, much like Aldera always had at this time of year.

It was beautiful, and peaceful, and Leia couldn’t quite believe it. Thinking about where she was, and where she had started, it seemed like a miracle that she was alive to see it at all.

Somehow, the solstice had always managed to make her feel a bit maudlin, even as a small girl running about the palace.

_Everyone will be here soon_ , she thought, and she tried to reassure herself that everything would be fine.

 

* * *

 

There was nothing quite like the sensation of being enfolded in a Wookiee hug to cure the winter blues, it seemed to Leia. Her small apartment was soon filled with the sounds of Shyriiwook, laughter, and clinking mugs, and it warmed her soul while the added bodies warmed the space. Lando and Wedge brought bottles of Corellian whiskey that tasted especially good with their hot chocolate and sweetbread, and Luke shared his aunt’s blue milk cheesy bread recipe.

It was sharing a moment alone with her husband that Leia treasured the most, however. His kiss upon arriving home was even better than Chewie’s big hug.

“Everything okay, Your Worship?” he asked her, later that night as she stood on the balcony looking out at the winter lights throughout the city once more.

“Everything’s fine,” she replied, tucking her head into his chest as he put his arm around her.

“I’m glad you’re all here with me. It’s just this time of year. I always used to get the solstice blues, my mother called it. I don’t want it to get any of you down as well.”

“I know who I married,” Han said, turning her chin up to look at him and gently stroking her cheek. “We’ve been through a lot together, and you’re still running the Rebellion, just more officially now. We haven’t had time to ourselves since Endor. If you need some time, we can skip everything tomorrow.”

Leia softly chuckled at that last line.

“You’re just saying that because you don’t want to be part of the parade tomorrow. I know who I married, too.”

“What can I say? You like nice men.”

“I like nice men,” she replied, smiling and pulling him down for a kiss.

Chandrila’s climate might have been too mild for snow, but otherwise, Leia’s first winter solstice at home since Alderaan’s destruction was absolutely perfect.

A few short days later, the New Republic held a ceremony in honor of Life Day in which Chewbacca placed a medal and plaque honoring all the Rebellion’s valiant warriors on the largest tree in Hanna City.

Among the top names on the plaque were Bail and Breha Organa. Leia held Han’s hand as she traced each name, smiling through tears.

“Life doesn’t discriminate between the sinners and the saints,” he said, kissing her hand. “Let’s go get some of Chewie’s famous Life Day brew.”

She pulled him down for a proper kiss, then they headed off into the crowds to find their family.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and constructive feedback always appreciated. You can find me as politicalmamaduck on Tumblr! Many thanks to my dear friend Jen/larirenshadow for betaing. 
> 
> I started writing Han/Leia fic again for the first time in two years after reading Leia: Princess of Alderaan, so I am very grateful for the Han/Leia Secret Santa for the opportunity to write this! I hope you like your gift, and I am wishing a (belated) Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


End file.
